Multi-Modal Freight Integration: Port Modernisation & PM Gati Shakti Logistics
Executive Summary
Port chairpersons, dedicated freight corridor planners, and supply chain executives debate bringing India's logistics costs down to single digits of GDP via automated digital customs and freight corridors.
Key Discussion Points
- 1Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) have doubled container train operating speeds to over 60 km/h.
- 2National Logistics Portal (Marine) and ULIP API integration have eliminated paper documentation at 12 major ports.
- 3Inland waterway cargo movements along National Waterway 1 (Ganga) and NW 2 (Brahmaputra) reached record tonnages.
Main Policy & Industry Recommendations
Accelerate dedicated rail links to tier-2 industrial clusters to curb empty container repositioning expenses.
Harmonise state warehousing zoning guidelines with the central National Logistics Policy framework.
Strategic Industry Implications
Compresses overall national logistics costs from 12% to under 8.5% of GDP, directly boosting export margins.
Session Transcript
Timestamped recordEvery percentage point saved on logistics translates into billions of dollars in export competitiveness. PM Gati Shakti has broken down the legacy silos between road, rail, and port ministries.
On the Western DFC, double-stack container trains carry twice the payload of standard trains, and we run from Dadri in UP to Mundra port in under 24 hours.
Anita Ganguly
Senior Transport Economist
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Manoj K. Pandey
VerifiedManaging Director
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL)
Rail Freight Logistics
Siddharth Rao
VerifiedChief Operating Officer
DP World Subcontinent
Container Terminal Automation
- ›National Logistics Policy (NLP) Operational Phase 2.
- ›PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan Railway Connectivity Mandate.